Niskanen Triumphs in Falun's 10 km, Diggins Eyes Overall World Cup Glory

Kerttu Niskanen of Finland secured a stunning victory in the women’s 10 km classic race at the World Cup finals held in Falun, Sweden, on Saturday. This win paves the way for the highly anticipated 20 km mass start event scheduled for Sunday.

Jessie Diggins, representing the United States, finished in fifth place, a result that strengthens her position in the overall World Cup title chase.

Linn Svahn, Diggins' closest rival for the overall title, faced a setback with a disappointing 18th place finish, trailing her by a significant 75 points in the standings. To overtake Diggins, Svahn will need to achieve a remarkable win in the final race on Sunday, which offers 100 points.

Johanna Matintalo, another standout Finnish skier, took second place, finishing just 4.2 seconds behind Niskanen. Sweden's Jonna Sundling rounded out the podium in third, finishing 10 seconds after the winner.

From France, Delphine Claudel was the sole representative in the race, finishing in 26th place, while currently holding the 18th position in the overall standings.